What is Blazor?

Blazor is a free and open-source web framework that enables developers to build interactive client-side web UI with C# and .NET. Traditionally, client-side web development relied on JavaScript frameworks. Blazor allows you to use your existing .NET skills to build dynamic, responsive web applications without leaving the C# ecosystem.

Key Features and Benefits

• Use C# for Client-Side Logic: Write all your application logic in C#, sharing code between the client and server.
• Reusable UI Components: Build complex UIs using reusable Blazor components written in C#, HTML, and Razor syntax.
• Leverage the .NET Ecosystem: Access the vast array of .NET libraries and tools directly from your client-side code.
• Two Hosting Models:
• Blazor Server: Runs your application code on the server and handles UI updates over a SignalR connection.
• Blazor WebAssembly: Runs your application code directly in the browser using WebAssembly.
• Productivity Boost: Reduce context switching between languages and benefit from the strong typing and tooling of C#.

How Blazor Works (Conceptual Overview)

Blazor components are built using Razor syntax, a templating language that mixes HTML markup with C# code. These components are compiled into .NET assemblies. Depending on the hosting model:

• Blazor Server: The .NET runtime is hosted on the server. When a user interacts with the UI, events are sent to the server via a SignalR connection. The server executes the event handler, calculates the UI diff, and sends the updated UI back to the browser.
• Blazor WebAssembly: The .NET runtime and your application code are downloaded to the browser as WebAssembly. Your C# code runs directly within the browser's sandboxed environment, interacting with the DOM through a JavaScript interop layer.

Getting Started

To start building with Blazor, you'll typically need:

• .NET SDK (version 5.0 or later recommended)
• A code editor like Visual Studio or VS Code with the C# extension.

You can create a new Blazor project using the .NET CLI:

dotnet new blazorserver -o MyBlazorApp  # For Blazor Server
dotnet new blazorwasm -o MyBlazorApp  # For Blazor WebAssembly

"Blazor empowers .NET developers to build modern, interactive web applications using C#, bridging the gap between server-side and client-side development."

Next Steps

Explore the following topics to deepen your understanding:

• Understand the different Blazor hosting models.
• Learn how to create your first Blazor component.
• Dive into routing, data binding, and event handling.